Channel-iron bending apparatus



Feb. 15, 1938. H. H. SAMUEL CHANNEL IRON BENDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet ll Filed July 15, 195e IN VENTOR.

"wcn/cj. AFC/mue@ ATTORNEY.

Feb. 15, 1938. H. H. lSAMUEL CHANNEL IRON BENDING APPARATUS 2 sheets-'sheet 2 Filed July l5, 1936 IVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 15,

8 Claims.

This invention relates, generally, to apparatus 'fo-r bending channel-iron and similar metallic stock into curved formations of desired shape; and the invention has reference, more particular- 5 ly, to a simple and effective apparatus for curving or bending metallic stock` of channeled or U- shaped cross-sectional shape so as to produce smooth and unblemished bends therein, whereby such material may be wrought into desired curvi-r lOi linear shapes.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel apparatus comprising an anvil or form having the curvilinear shape to which it is desired that the metallic stock be conformably worked,

cooperative with which is provided a traveling bender; novel means being provided for causing the traveling bender to move along the anvil or form relative to the material supported by the latter soy as to bend said material to a. curvilinear shape conformable to said anvil or form.

The invention has for another object to provide an apparatus of the kind and for the purposes described Which is effective toI bend both straight sided channeled stock or flanged sided chan-V neled stock.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

30. An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a face view or side elevation of the novel bending apparatus made according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section Athereof, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1 but drawn upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the same, also drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing the .traveling bender advanced and in the act of sharply bending the material being worked along and upon the anvil or form.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate correspond- 4:5y ing parts.

Referring to said drawings, the reference character Ill indicates the body of an anvil or form, the same comprising a metallic bar of rectangular cross sectional shape, the same being bent along 50. its longitudinal extent to a curvilinear shape or form corresponding to the curved shape into which it is desired to work the channel-iron or like material sought to be bent. To exemplify the construction and mode of operation of the bending apparatus according to this invention, the anvil 1936, Serial N0. 90,672

or form I is shown as shaped to provide an arched form having a curved top, such form being suitable for the production, out of channeled metallic stock, of reenforcing bows or ribs in onepiece, suitable for use in the construction o-f auto-bus bodies, and like fabricated structures. It will be understood, however, that the anvil or form I0 may be given any curvilinear shape to which it is desired that the finished work shall conform. rIn the illustrative arched form of the anvil or form I0, the straight vertical leg portions I0 thereof are preferably suitably joined together, and held against spreading or other displacement, by means of a bottom tiebar Il, which is secured to the extremities of said leg portions I0 in any suitable manner.

Immovably affixed to the inner longitudinal face of said anvil o-r form I0, preferably by welding the same strongly thereto, is a corresponding length yof sprocket chain I2, the transverse link pins I3 of which constitute equi-spaced rack teeth which readily conform themselves to any desired curved shape given tothe anvil or form I0, without lossA or alteration of pitch, no matter what variation of the arc or circular pitch line may be required to follow the curvature of said anvil or form I0.

Cooperative with said anvil or form i0, to embrace and travel longitudinally along the same from one end to the other thereof, is a. traveling bender. 'I'his traveling bender comprises a pair of side or frame plates I4 which straddle said anvil or form I0, i. e. the same are laterally opposed, one adjacent to each side of said anvil or form Ill. Rotatably mounted between the upper orouter end portions of said side or frame plates I4 are a pair of main bending rollers, comprising an advance or preliminary bending roller I5 and a trailing or finishing bending roller I6. The journals I1 of said respective bending rollers are mounted in suitably disposed bearing openings I8 with which said sideor frame plates I4 are respectively provided. The said bending rollers I5 and I6 are of a width adapted to enter into the channel of the material desired to be worked, when said material is mounted, with its channeled side outward, upon the outer face of the anvil or forml Il). Rotatably mounted between the lower or inner end portions of said side or frame plates I4, is a drivesprocket I9, the aXle shaft 20 of which is journaled in bearing openings 2| with which said side or frame plates I4 are respectively provided. Said drive sprocket I9 is centrally spaced-,between the side or frame plates I4 by collars 22, and said drive sprocket is disposed with its axis aligned in a transverse plane intermediate the transverse axial planes of the bending rollers I5 and I6. The teeth 23 of said drive sprocket I9 mesh operatively with the rack teeth forming link pins I3 of the sprocket chain I2 which is immovably aixed to the inner longitudinal face of said anvil or form I. One end of the axle shaft 20 of said drive sprocket I9 is projected exteriorly from thesideor frameplate I 4 through which it extends, and, if the traveling bender is to be hand driven, a suitable power applying lever, preferably in the form of a cross handle bar member 24, is afxed to said exteriorly projecting end portion of axleshaft 2li. By manipulating said cross handle bar member 24 operative rotative movement may be applied to said drive sprocketl I9. It will be understood, that other forms of hand actuated power transmitting means may be utilized; andl it will also be understood that, if the traveling bender is desired to be power driven, any suitable source of power may be provided and suitably connected to said axle shaft 20 so as to produce operative rotative movement of said drive sprocket I9.

Illustrative of one form of channeled metallic material which the bending apparatus according to this invention is adapted to work, is the flange sided channeled stock shown in the drawings. This material comprises, initially straight lengths of channeled metallic stock ycomprising a horizontal bottom or body web 25 having upstanding vertical side webs 2B extending along its respective longitudinal margins. Turned outwardly from the free margins of said side webs 26 are horizontal flanges or angular lips 21. If material of this character is to be worked by the bending apparatus according to this invention, flange supporting rollers are provided on the interior faces of each side or frame plate I4, the same being properly disposed to operatively engage the undersides of said flanges or lips 2'I with which the material is provided. These flange supporting rollers comprise lead rollers 28 which underlie the flanges or lips 2l at points intermediate the advance and trailing bending rollers I5 and I 6, and follower rollers 29 which underlie the flanges or lips 2l at points more or less closely adjacent to the impingement planes of said trailing bending roller I6. Each flange supporting roller is provided with a journal portion 30 mounted in a corresponding bearing opening 3I with which the side or frame plates I4are provided, so that the same are free to rotate.

The method of use and operation of the bending apparatus is as followsz- Preliminary to mounting the material to be bent in operative relation to the anvil or form I0, the traveling bender is moved along the latter from left to right until it is positioned upon the right hand leg portion I thereof adjacent to its lower end. A length of material to be bent is inserted through the traveling bender, and thereupon aligned with and mounted against the outer face of the anvil or form Il! with its body or bottom web 25 flatly contiguous to said right' hand leg It', and so that the bending rollers I5 and I6 enter the channel of the material between the side webs 2E and impinge upon the body or bottom web, while the supporting rollers 28 and 29 underlie and impinge upon the flanges or lips 2'! of the material.

Prior to imparting operative movement to theV traveling bender, the lower end of saidmaterial is suitably and immovably affixed to the right hand leg I0 of the anvil or form by means of a clamp 32 or other suitable anchoring means. When the material is thus anchored to the anvil or form I0, operative movement is imparted to the traveling bender by turning the drive sprocket I9. When thus rotated, the teeth of the drive sprocket engage the stationary rack teeth formed by the link pins I3 of the fixed sprocket chain I2 so as to advance along the latter, thus moving the traveling bender upwardly along the straight extent of the anvil or form leg portion I3 and over the superimposed material without bending effect. As the traveling bender advances upon a curved portion of the anvil or form IU, the advance or preliminary bending roller I rides out upon'that portion of the channeled material which projects tangentially to the curvature of the anvil or form Ill, and under the advancing movement of the traveling bender tends to press the material inwardly toward the curved surface of said anvil or form, whereby the material is placed under a tension which tends to cant the bender rearwardly about the axis of the drive sprocket I9, thus causing the trailing or finishing roller I6 to press with great force inwardly toward the surface of the anvil or form Il) with strong bending effect upon the material, so that the latter is compelled to conform to the curvature of said anvil or form I0 (see Fig. 3). If the material worked upon is provided with the flanges or lips 21 springing from its side webs 26, the supporting rollers 28 and 29 will impinge upon the undersides of said flanges or lips 2'I so as to support the same against distortion while the same are bending under the stretching and bending stresses to which the material as a whole is being subjected by the operation of the main bending rollers I5 and I6. In this connection it is best to locate the lead rollers 28 at points intermediate the main bending rollers I5 and I6, so that the same provide supporting fulcrums around which the-preliminary flange or lip bending effects are exercised, While the follower rollers 29 are located substantially in line with the trailing or finished bending roller I6 so as to provide supporting fulcrum around which the finishing flange or lip bending effects are exercised (see Fig. 3) VIn the described operations the preliminarybending rollers I5, as the traveling bender advances, constantly tends to swing the material inwardly toward the anvil or form thereby stretching the side webs 26 smoothly without buckling or undesired distortional effects, until finally the finished bend is completed by the strong ironing effect of the trailing or finishing bending roller I6 which forces the bottom web 25 of the material into closely conforming relation to the curvature of the face of the anvil or form IU. If required, as the bending operations progress, the material already bent into conformation to the anvil or form, may be secured to the latter, behind the traveling bender, against accidental displacement, by applying thereto additional clamps or other suitable temporary fastening means, similarly'as is applied the clamp 32 above mentioned.

'Ihe anvil or form may be supported in any suitable manner subject toV the operative movement of the traveling bender in connection therewith. Itwill also be understood that the anvil or form and the traveling bender may be suitably modified in shape so as to produce any desired curvilinear formation of the material worked,

and also the same may be modified to deal with material of various cross-sectional shapes. In fact, I am aware that many changes could be made in the above described construction of `bending apparatus, as well as in the details of the structure and parts thereof without departing from the scope of this invention; and therefore it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock into curvilinear formations, comprising an anvil bar of desired but irregular curvilinear shape, a traveling bender embracing said anvil bar so as to be movable along the same, a sprocket chain immovably .affixed to and extending along the inner longitudinal face of said anvil bar and conforming to the shape of the latter, the cross pins of'said chain constituting equi-spaced rack teeth adapted to conform themselves to the vanvil bar curvature without alteration of pitch through all variations of the irregular circular pitch line required to follow said anvil bar curvature, a drive sprocket carried by said traveling bender to mesh with said sprocket chain, means to rotate said sprocket, and bending roll means journaled in said traveling bender to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, the stock to be worked being disposed between said bending roll means and the outer face of said anvil bar.

2. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock into combined straight and curvilinear formations, comprising an anvil bar of desired combined straight and curvilinear shape, a traveling bender embracing said anvil bar so as to be movable along the same, a sprocket chain immovably aliixed to and extending along the inner longitudinal face of said anvil bar, the cross pins of said chain constituting equi-spaced rack teeth adaptedsto conform themselves to the anvil bar curvature without alteration of pitch through all variations of straight and circular t pitch line required to follow said anvil bar curvature, a drive sprocket carried by said traveling bender to mesh with said sprocket chain, means to rotate said sprocket, and bending roll means journaled in said traveling bender to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, the stock to be worked being disposed between said bending roll means and the outer face of said anvil bar, said bending roll means comprising an advance bending roller and a trailing bending roller spaced behind said advance roller.

3. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting flange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired curvilinear shape, a traveling bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, cooperative means on said anvil bar and bender frame for causing operative traveling movement of the latter along the former, rotatable bending rollers journaled in said bender frame to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, said rollersI comprising an advance roller and a trailing roller spaced behind said advance roller, said rollers being adapted to enter the channel of stock to be worked engaged between the outer face of said anvil bar and said rollers, and ange supporting means interiorly mounted on the bender frame.

4. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic-stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting flange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired curvilinear shape, a traveling bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, cooperative means on said anvil bar and bender frame Afor causing operative traveling movement of the latter along the former, rotatable bending rollers journaled in said bender frame to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, said rollers comprising an advance roller and a trailing roller spaced behind said advance roller, said rollers being adapted to enter the channel of stock to be worked engaged between the outer face `of said anvil bar and said rollers, and rotatable flange supporting rollers interiorly mounted on the bender frame, said supporting rollers comprising a lead roller disposed between said bending rollers and a follower roller disposed adjacent the-side of said trailing bending roller.-y

5. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting flange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired longitudinal curvilinear shape, a traveling bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, cooperative means on said anvil bar and bender frame for causing operative movement of the latter along the former, bending means carried by said frame in opposition to the outer face of said anvil bar and adapted to enter the channel of stock engaged between the latter and the former, and flange supporting means interiorly mounted on the bender frame in laterally offset relation to said bending means.

6. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting ange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired longitudinal curvilinear shape, a traveling bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, a sprocket chain immovably affixed to and extending along the inner longitudinal face of said anvil bar, the cross pins of said chain constituting equi-spaced rack teeth adapted to conform themselves to the anvil bar curvature without alteration of pitch through all variations of circular pitch line required to follow said anvil bar curvature, a drive sprocket carried by said bender frame to mesh with said sprocket chain, means to rotate said sprocket, bending means carried by said bender frame in opposition to the outer face of said anvil bar and adapted to enter the channel of stock engaged between the latter and the former, and flange supporting means interiorly mounted on the bender frame in laterally offset relation to said bending means.

7. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting flange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired longitudinal curvilinear shape, a traveling' bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, a sprocket chain immovably affixed to and extending along the inner longitudinal face of said anvil bar, the cross pins of said chain constituting equi-spaced rack teeth adapted to conform themselves'to the anvil bar curvature without alteration of pitch through all variations of circular pitch line required to follow said anvil bar curvature, a drive sprocket carried by said bender frame to mesh With said sprocket chain, means to rotate said sprocket, rotatable bending rollers journaled in said bender frame to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, said rollers comprising an advance roller and a trailing roller spaced behind said advance roller, said rollers being adapted to enter the channel of stock to be worked engaged between the outer face of said anvil bar and said rollers, and flange supporting means interiorly mounted on the bender frame.

8. Apparatus for bending straight lengths of metallic stock of channeled cross-sectional shape having an outwardly projecting flange extending from the free margins of one or both of its side webs, comprising an anvil bar of desired longitudinal curvilinear shape, a traveling bender comprising a frame embracing said anvil bar and movable along the same, a sprocket chain mmovably aixed to and extending along the inner longitudinal face of said anvil bar, the cross pins of said chain constituting equi-spaced rack teeth adapted to conform themselves to the anvil bar curvature without alteration of pitch through all Variations of circular pitch line required to follow said anvil bar curvature, a drive sprocket carried by said bender frame to mesh with said sprocket chain, means to rotate said sprocket, rotatable bending rollers journaled in said bender frame to oppose and cooperate with the outer face of said anvil bar, said rollers comprising an advance roller and a trailing roller spaced behind said advance roller, said rollers being adapted to enter the channel of stock to be worked engaged between the outer face of said anvil bar and said rollers, and rotatable ilange supporting rollers interiorly mounted on the bender frame in laterally olset relation to said bending rollers, said supporting rollers comprising a lead roller disposed between said bending rollers and a follower roller substantially in line with said trailing bending roller.

HOWARD H. SAMUEL. 

